Checking in at Dwarfheim

After The List spent some time peepin’ around their office, we started to be fascinated by how much work goes into creating a video game.

Photo: Torleif Kvinnesland

When we last spoke to the guys and gals making Dwarfheim they were starting to enter some of the later stages of their games production, but to make the game run smoother and create a better experience they decided to rebuild the game with a more flexible framework they designed themselves.

Already they are back on track, and even ahead of schedule. The world they are building, and the characters that will inhabit it are looking stunning.

They gave us a first look at the Berserker character.

Image: Pineleaf Studio

After wandering around, looking over the shoulders of the game designers, artists, and others involved in the company it was incredible seeing how all the pieces come together. From turning sketches into 3D pieces of art, to coding and creating the way characters move.

Photo: Pineleaf Studio

The majority of the technical terms went over our heads, but a discussion with Fredrik Chrislock really stood out. He talked about implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning into Dwarfheim – taking technology from other fields and bringing it into the gaming industry. The game will learn from the way humans play the game and make changes to keep things fresh and exciting.

Everyone at Dwarfheim had a lot to say about their game and the goals they want to accomplish with it.

“We want to create deep and innovative games. Looking at the game industry right now, we think there are a lot of things that are still untried”, Hans Klevin, the big man at Pineleaf Studios said.

The video game industry in Norway, and especially in Trondheim, is rapidly evolving. The List will certainly be following the progress of Pineleaf Studios and Dwarfheim!